Apartment facts

One bedroom, one bath with a garden: In the heart of charming Montmartre area of Paris, near Sacré Coeur, this lovely garden apartment of 43 m2 (34,10 LC) is a dream come true.

Composed of:

An atrium and veranda bathed in sunshine

A large living area with ample storage

A separate, fully equipped kitchen

A bedroom with ensuite bath

Guest powder room

And a small private garden

The apartment is in perfect, move-in condition, with an efficient floor plan and no wasted space. The lovely garden makes the property feel even larger, like an oasis in the heart of Paris. A prestigious location in a beautiful area of Montmartre makes this an ideal pied-a-terre in Paris.

Location

Paris: 18th arrondissement

The famous 18th arrondissement of Paris is best known for Sacré Coeur, the iconic white domed church at the highest point in Paris in Montmartre. At the bottom of the hill, the Moulin Rouge cabaret defines a different spirit and a different history, of this eclectic arrondissement. The streets of Montmartre bustle with sketch artists and tourists, keeping it lively but somewhat redundant unless you know how to get off the beaten path. On the back side of the hill from Sacré Coeur, you will find some of the most charming, tree-lined streets in Paris, and Paris’ best flea markets toward the northern edge of the city. Rue Caulaincourt and Avenue Junot are full of cafés, wonderful bakeries, and one-off shops selling anything from porcelain doll parts to antique wind-up toys. The rare hôtels particuliers sell quickly and often by word-of-mouth when they come on the market.

Average price: €8,298/m2; +3.2% over one year; +50.5% over 10 years

There is quite a range in price among the different neighborhoods of the 18th. Expect to pay Marais-like prices for a large apartment with a great view and a terrace or garden in select areas of Montmartre, but prices fall fast toward the Goutte d’Or neighborhood, where they are among the lowest in Paris. The neighborhood near the Metro Guy Moquet, toward the 17th arrondissement, is coming to life with bakeries, shops and a young cosmopolitan feel – get in while you can at that price. Around Abbesses and rue Lepic the price is quite high and in demand. Average price: 8,298 €/m2, ranging from 5,313 € to 12,134 €/m2, depending on the area.

Current Market Prices — 18th arrondissement

Neighborhood

Price/m2 in euros

Low

Medium

High

Grandes-Carrières

€ 5,812

€ 8,797

€ 12,406

Clignancourt

€ 5,591

€ 8,324

€ 11,904

Goutte-d'Or

€ 4,473

€ 6,754

€ 9,027

Chapelle

€ 4,270

€ 6,758

€ 9,120

Get to know the 18th arrondissement

Architectural styles

Paris evolved out of a walled city, and some historians argue that this alone has given Paris a certain logic that London or Boston lacks. Paris has really never lost its walls: 900 years after the 12th-century wall of Philippe August, we now live in a city walled by its ring-road, the Péripherique highway. This succession of walls, gradually torn down and rebuilt through the centuries, has created a spiraling city, which grew gradually out from the Ile de la Cité. It’s not surprising that some of the oldest buildings are near the center of the spiral.

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Roman

The Romans defeated the Parisii tribe and established a city they named Lutetia. Today, that city is Paris. Traces of Roman architecture remain visible in Paris: if you look at a map, Rue Saint-Jacques cuts right through the middle of the city and was the main Roman road in and out. Remnants of a coliseum, baths, and temples survive and can be visited today. But when the Roman Empire crumbled, its architectural genius disappeared as well, and the Dark Ages were actually a step backwards architecturally.

By 1853, the city had over 1 million people. Only one house in five had running water; of these, most only had plumbing on the ground floor. Napoleon III tapped Baron Haussmann to renovate Paris. The goal was to ease traffic by creating large boulevards and to promote hygiene by integrating a clean water and sewage system, as well as to house the burgeoning upper class. Featuring an intricate cut stone façade, the common layout in a Haussmannian style building is large apartments (200 to 300 m²) with multiple salons de reception, marble fireplaces, chevron parquet floors, high ceilings with elaborate crown moldings, and a grand stairwell with an elevator to the side rather than in the center. Found around the grand boulevards in the center of Paris and in the 8th, 10th, 14th, 15th,16th, 17th, 18th, 20th arrondissements.

This style of architecture is also found in these Arrondissements:7|8|10|14|15|16|17|20

Art Nouveau

(1893-1917)

Art Nouveau was a brief fin-de-siecle architectural trend lasting approximately from 1893 to the beginning of World War I. Best known for the style is Hector Guimard. His curving “cigarette smoke” line had already made waves on buildings in the elegant 16th arrondissement, but his Art Nouveau was motivated by a social conscience, much like the Arts and Crafts Movement in Britain. Hired in 1896 to design the metro entrances, he leapt at the chance to design something beautiful for the masses. But when Guimard unveiled his brilliant Métro work in 1900 everyone hated it. The shiny green color was considered unpatriotic, too close to Prussian green, and the writhing insect-like metalwork was much too weird for the public. Time has defeated his critics however, and Guimard’s Art Nouveau Métro entrances have become one of the city’s trademarks.

This style of architecture is also found in these Arrondissements:5|6|7|8|15|16|17

Art Deco / Modern Lofts

(1918-39)

At the end of World War I, Paris was exuberant—the world had just survived “the war to end all wars. High-speed ocean liners crisscrossed the Atlantic; Surrealism shocked the art world; radios poured out jazz music. The Modern Age had arrived. Trying to express this freedom and movement, architects responded to the jazzy rhythm with angular shapes reminiscent of the new cruise ships. World War II put an end to Art Deco’s optimism and the less-flamboyant lines of pure Modernism took over. Factories from this time have converted into residential use. Turning a loft into a livable space requires consulting an architect. In general, remodeling the interior of a loft will not require approval from building co-owners but any changes affecting the exterior of the building will need building co-owner and city approval.

This style of architecture is also found in these Arrondissements:5|6|7|8|15|16|17

Post War

Through the Seventies

These years are often seen as a disaster for French architecture. Some terrible mistakes were made, in particular the destruction of Les Halles in central Paris. Building styles from the 1950’s had to meet a large demand for new housing quickly and affordably as almost no new housing in Paris had been created during the previous 20 years. To meet the demand over 2500 buildings were constructed during the decade but Paris did not have a coherent building plan in place so developers were left to their own whims as to the height and size of their buildings with little concern for the surrounding architecture. Developers often prioritised profit over architectural beauty but they provided the Parisian population with well-equipped, low-rent housing. At the same time this was the period of Le Corbusier and his influence can be seen in the luxury buildings of the period which often have large balconies, modern layouts, and lots of light. The majority of buildings from this period have a brick, stone or concrete façade, elevators, low ceilings, carpeting, and small rooms.

In the 1980s, President Mitterrand unveiled a new architectural concept to move Paris into the next millennium. His “grands travaux” brought both praise and horror as they evolved, but no one can deny that the final result is a renewed and diverse city. Mitterrand is responsible for commissioning the Grand Louvre’s new glass pyramid entrance (created by I.M. Pei), the move of the Ministry of Finance into a new building (designed by Paul Chemetov), the Grande Arche de la Defense (by Von Spreckelsen), the Cité de la Musique (by Pritzer-prize winner Christian de Portzamparc), the Institut du Monde Arabe (by Jean Nouvel), the Opera Bastille (by the less-accomplished Carlos Ott), and the new library (by Dominique Perrault), now named the Bibliotèque François-Mitterrand. Apartment buildings from this period offer large windows and storage space, but lack the architectural details of previous styles.

Restaurants

Volumes have been written on where to eat in Paris, but this is our very personal take on favorite places to go in each arrondissement. Some are swanky and require reservations, and some are more casual eateries. If you find other favorites, let us know so we can add them to our site in the future.

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Guilo Guilo

8 rue Garreau, 18thtel: 01 42 54 23 92 | M° Abbesses

One of the most sought after and most surprising restaurants in the 18th, the chef here is a star in Japan and has restaurants in Tokyo and Hawaii. There is an exquisite degustation menu of haute couture Japanese cuisine prepared in front of diners, and their specialty is sushi made with foie gras.

Totally unassuming from the outside, this restaurant in the 18th arrondissment serves reasonably priced haute gastronomic French food. The menu is limited and changes seasonally. The chef, who is like the French grandmother you always wanted, takes pride in traditional cooking methods and market-fresh products. Be sure to reserve at least a week in advance for dinner, or stop by for lunch.

This swanky all-suite hotel is set in a 19th-century townhouse surrounded by landscaped gardens with a turn-of-the-century pétanque court. The posh restaurant Le Mandragore, serves 3 and 5 course, prix fixe menus in the lush garden, weather permitting, and in the elegant but cozy formal rooms inside. The 5 plush suites are individually styled and have been decorated by local artists, making a wonderful get-away spot.